A VOW RECALLED AT DUSK
Jiang Xiaoping (蒋小平)
At the hour when daylight wanes,
My sister’s message comes—
“Father asks when you will go
To Nanyue, to redeem the vow.”
For the sake of my wandering toil,
He once bent knee before a silent god.
O tears, I have forgiven thee—
My father, who believed in none,
Yet bowed for the love of his son.
That distant sacred hill
Now shimmers, half-concealed, within my sight;
And in the hush of layered peaks,
I seem to see him—
A man near sixty winters old
Crouched by the village gate,
Drawing slow breaths from his pipe,
Each ember faintly aglow.
Author Bio
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Jiang Xiaoping (蒋小平; also known by his pen name, Jiang Yibing) is a Chinese poet and essayist from Hengyang, Hunan. A member of the Chinese Writers Association, his work has appeared in leading literary journals such as Poetry Periodical (Shikan), Stars (Xingxing), Children’s Literature, Literary World, and Works. He is the author of poetry collections Awakening and Flavors, as well as the essay collection Pure Delights of the Human World. Rooted in the landscapes and memories of his hometown, his writing often reflects on the quiet beauty of everyday life, the passing of time, and the emotional bonds that hold communities together. His poems selected for The Bellwether Review continue this lyrical exploration of dusk, homeland, and love. He currently lives in Shenzhen, China.